


Not quite useless

by Facha_Hasserbunde



Category: Dungeons & Dragons (Roleplaying Game), Legacy of Kain
Genre: Comfort, Family Bonding, Fatherhood, Parenthood, Refugees, Self-Acceptance, Survival
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-31
Updated: 2020-08-31
Packaged: 2021-03-06 14:21:15
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 684
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26220301
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Facha_Hasserbunde/pseuds/Facha_Hasserbunde
Summary: Tristan discovers how something so seemingly worthless can still be put to good use, while sharing a tender moment with his adoptive human daughter.
Kudos: 1
Collections: The Land of Nosgoth





	Not quite useless

It was time for rest, but she was restless. At first I thought she was concerned about something happening to her while she was sleeping. So I tried to reassure her I would keep watch all night and all will be well. But this wasn’t what kept her awake. It seemed she had a question for me, but was unsure on how to address me about it.

“Sire,” she began hesitant, “there is something I wish to know.”

“Speak freely. What is troubling you, little one?”, I replied and I gave her a reassuring look.

She stared at my physical features and I guess she had been pondering about this for quite some time now, but never felt brave enough to ask.

“Sire, what happened to your other wing?”

“The Dumahim cut it off and took it from me as a trophy”, I told her bluntly and I could see the shock on her face.

“That’s awful!”, she replied with an angry frown, but I immediately calmed her growing temper.

“It is. But hush now. You need to sleep. In a few hours we will leave this place. I need you to be strong and rested.”

She sighed with discontent, but did what I asked of her. She lay down her head on my lap, as she often did and I draped my cloak and tunic around her as a blanket. I did not need these garments for warmth, but I made sure she was tucked in nicely. The thick fur she was using as mattress would help fight of the cold as well. I tried my best to keep her comfy during our travels, but it wasn’t always easy. In this case we had lost some supplies earlier, materials including her bedroll. It had happened the day prior when some unexpected and unwelcome visitors forced us to abandon our last campsite in a hurry. Though sometimes troubled by hardships she never complained for lacking anything or wanting something. Even at this young age she already possessed a tough and enduring character and I encouraged this as much as I could.

As she lay still next to me I hummed an old soothing tune as I had done so many times before. Usually this would help her sleep faster, but today my method only seemed to achieve a few yawns so far. Her eyes were still open as she silently stared at nothing in particular.

“Alright, youngling, speak more of your mind then. If it will help you rest better.”

She shifted a little, but kept her head firmly placed on my lap. For a short moment she kept quiet, but then she rapidly started asking more and more questions. Mainly questions about my past. I kept my answers deliberately short and terse, because I didn’t feel this was the right time for such tales.

“One last question, no more”, I warned her, because her curiosity was starting to drain my own energy as well.

“Yes, Sire”, she confirmed and she only wished to know: “Will your wing ever grow back?”

“No, child, it will not grow back. And its absence renders the other wing quite useless.”

“Pity”, she simply replied, followed by a yawn. “I do think the remaining one is very pretty, though.”

Her unexpected compliment forced a little smile on my lips and I gently stroked her hair as an affectionate gesture in return.

“Thank you, Bovy. But sleep now. You must.”

She nodded and needed little further encouraging to finally fall into a deep slumber. I watched her for a while and listened to her calm breathing and slow but steady heartbeat. It would seem this night would give her a good peaceful rest, without being plagued by bad dreams or night terrors. Suddenly she did shiver for a moment, due to a cold wind suddenly rising around us. In a reflex move I shielded her from the wind using my only wing. It worked perfectly and her shivering soon ceased, allowing her to comfortably continue her sleep. I shook my head and showed a little smirk as I thought:  
  


**Author's Note:**

> This tale is part of a backstory for a Legacy of Kain themed D&D/TRPG Character.  
> You can read more about him here: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24745225/
> 
> PS: English is not my native language, so you may encounter some odd spelling or grammatical errors.  
> If you spot any mistakes, please feel free to drop me a note. I’m always more than happy to fix it.


End file.
